


Vapor

by idigam



Series: Batman Beyond [2]
Category: Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Big Bang Gas, F/M, Quantum Vapor, Splicers - Freeform, bang baby Jokerz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-20 19:39:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10669440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idigam/pseuds/idigam
Summary: A theft of chemicals during a gang war and a new wonder drug "Purple Haze."





	1. Chapter 1

Terry flies over the streets; they were disturbingly quiet, the rich and poor and all in between walked home from work unmolested. Jokerz and Ts suffering the crack downs and losses from their war could be recuperating but Terry couldn’t shake the feeling he was about to watch a very violent nature special in action. Approaching the districts around the park Terry hears a bestial shout and gunshots. An armored car parked outside an ATM station with two security agents having a shoot-out with a quartet of splicers equally armed but in the case of two benefiting from thickened skin in addition to the body armor overwhelm the security. Terry readies the anti-splicer serum and dart gun he’s started keeping on hand and launches out of the Batmobile. Rushing down towards the ensuing battle in time to see the rhino splicer go down through sheer firepower but collapse on top of the first security guard. A lizard-like splicer grabs the second from above and likely would have done something truly untoward had Terry’s boot not been enthusiastically introduced to her back. The guard and splicer fall Terry grabs the former and doses the latter with anti-splicer. 

“It’s the Bat!” Shouts a voice from where the last two splicers are located, Terry looks up to see two familiar faces, Ram and Panther. Whose names he never bothered learning, oh well, no real time to worry about that now. Terry swings into action firing at Ram who’s lowering his head to charge. He hits but the dart bounces off Ram’s horns and hard head not striking any veins, it’s enough to shock the splicer out of his rage induced charge. Panther jumps down with a bag of cash stolen from the car “c’mon, we got what we came for, let’s not risk it.” Ram snorts “what about them,” gesturing towards their unconscious companions. “Leave them, there’s no way we’ll take out the Bat before the cops get here.” Ram snorts, and makes a very rude gesture before running off leaving Terry to free the downed guard and cure the Rhino splicer, who while singed and unconscious was fine. “You’re really prepared for everything huh,” the first guard asks, Terry grins a cocky grin “basically.” He can’t say anymore as the sounds of fighting start coming from the nearby memorial park. “Gotta fly,” Terry says before kicking off and starting his jet boots. Terry checks his GPS and then sucks in a breath, “Old man, you sitting down? Because you aren’t going to like this.” Bruce looks up from the leads he’s chasing on the Splicer serum distribution, takes one look at the location marking where the Jokerz and Ts are having their latest skirmish, “get over there and take them down, NOW!”

 

***

J.J. let loose an enormous cackle as he jumps down onto the hood of the hover lift. “Stick em, up” he grins behind his bandanna pulling a gun on the heavy, “this is a, well not train robbery per se but its close enough for the bit!” The heavy slowly changes course to the Jokerz convoy. Ts start firing but the Jokerz have air support in the form of hover bikes, the drop driver hightails it and the Ts make to chase the Jokerz down. J.J. holds a pair of binoculars to his eyes and smiles wide, the Batmobile is approaching at seeds that are definitely not to road safety. “Right on schedule, a little early even, don’t you just love it when your friends are close by when you need a lift?” The T heavy reaches into his vest slowly only to have sharp-eyed little fan-boy put his gun under heavy’s chin. “Now, now, friend-o I’m the one who does the funny business around here.”

As soon as his gang unloads the canisters of vapor, J.J. smiles at the heavy, “parting is such sweet sorrow, better to put you out of my misery.” Pulls the trigger on the gun releasing a small “BANG!” flag. “Whoopsies on the fritz again. No worries though, I’m a registered vendor so I can punch your parking card.” He says punching the heavy in the throat and pistol whipping him. Then he turns to his lackeys, “cover me, the Bat and I didn’t really get to dance last-time.” J.J. launches onto the hover bike and speeds towards the Batmobile. Jumping at the last moment as Terry swerves the car, hitting the windshield with his face pressed to the glass making the most absurd look he can. Terry opens the roof and punches for the clown. “Not this time Rat-boy, you aren’t catching me off guard. I however have lots of tricks up my sleeve.” Throwing a bladed playing card into the Batman’s face; Terry evades by jumping landing on the edge between J.J. and the Batmobile’s interior. “Not a fan of cards? Maybe you’re a dove man.” Out of his ten gallon hat flies a metal bird whose eyes blink and mechanical cooing gets faster and faster. “A little Penguin I know, but it’ll be a blast, toodles.” With that the Junior Joker leaps off the Batmobile and releases a catch which unfolds a ridiculous purple hang-glider. Terry has only a few moments to kick the offending toy bird off the Batmobile only for it to burst with colorful smoke and confetti. The Ts and Jokerz scatter in different directions as sirens get louder and the GCPD converge on the Martha Wayne memorial park.

 

***  
Barbra is having a bad night, two dead gang members, three more hospitalized, and a missing chemical transport truck. She stands by a convenient patch of shadows, “Did either of those toads actually show their faces tonight?” Terry is on the other side of a corner, “J.J; he stole a canister of some sort from the Ts, the truck drove off before the fighting, and I saw it leave as I arrived. The old man thinks there’s a third party profiting off this war.” The commissioner nods sipping her coffee thoughtfully, “I’m inclined to agree, more of this composer nonsense?” Terry shrugs, “I’m starting to think he or she’s just a rumor, some boogey-man to throw us. That said lots of this feels too… Coincidental.” Barbra sighs, “Once is a coincidence in this business kid, sometimes not even that, there’s something going on, but I’m at a loss as for what it is.” Terry nods and disappears, Barbra smiles, “he’s getting better at that.” A young officer runs up to her shouting and she makes her way over to him “I’m not deaf yet kid. Despite your best efforts.”

“Commissioner, we found a fragment of canister, it seems there’s an outer seal. Think the boys down in the labs can get something from it?” Barbra makes an annoyed sound. “Probably, why don’t you find out I’m not here to wipe your nose for you, kid.” She signs off on the evidence transfer and watches the scene clean up. Something in her bones, sparked by her father, catalyzed by Bat-Girl, and refined as police commissioner tells her there’s going to be a long and bloody reckoning coming.

 

***  
Terry drops the Batmobile off at the manor, Bruce is at his computer. “I need you to look over some things you’ll need to stay here.” He gestures to the Batmobile and then continues working. “There are guest rooms upstairs, stay out of Grayson, and Alfred’s rooms.” Terry turns on Bruce, “Slag it Bruce! No, I have school tomorrow and if I don’t go home at all tonight my mom’s going to flip.” Bruce bat-glares him, Terry folds his arms, “no, my, mom will, flip.” Bruce’s bat-glare intensifies, “You may have been Batman, and you may still be intimidating, way more than you have any right to be at your age, but my mom is scarier.” Bruce does not waver, Terry sighs, “I’ll stay late to finish work on the Batmobile, and you have to tell my mom why I’m getting home late on a school night. Send the files you want me to look at to Max; she’s got better security than I do. I’ll look over them tomorrow during Information Studies. That’s my final offer.” Bruce’s glare relents some, and as soon as their backs are turned both men look quite smug, like they both won something the other wasn’t aware of.

 

***  
In a wood paneled office of tasteful ostentatiousness Sergei looks down at his phone. “Aries and Alexandra only grabbed about five thousand. Apparently they had a bit of a bat problem.” Richard Thorne’s lips turn upward just slightly, “oh? Tell them they did adequately in the face of such circumstances; and ask them who they would recommend to replace their arrested fellows.” Sergei takes a sip of his drink, “I don’t believe I mentioned a loss of forces.” Thorne shuts down the traffic camera feed he’d temporarily commandeered. “Truly? Perhaps I’m getting paranoid.” Sergei doesn’t say anything, baiting aside his boss is paranoid, but that’s not generally something to say out loud.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready to ride the Haze?

 

            A little over six hours after the robbery of the chemical truck, and a lot of elbow grease later J.J. stands before an assembled crowd of his lieutenants sans the now hospitalized Chucko. Each of them holds a nebulizer loaded with the prototype stable Quantum Vapor, now called “Purple Haze” as advertised on the side of the vials painted suitably bright colors. “We are at the dawn of the new age, an age where Jokerz and our chaos reign supreme! An age we can be proud of. An age our predecessor would revel in. And just as he once did so too shall we! Now who wants to gas up so we can get this party bus rolling?” The gang looks nervous and shuffles their feet. “What? No adventurous souls among us?” That is until a muscle-bound Joker in a green and purple jester cap comes up behind him and looms in such a way as to intimidate. “Your info got us this tip boss, your plan got us the stuff **boss** , and I think youz should do the honors of sampling the spoils o war first **_boss_**.” The Joker cracks his knuckles to emphasize his point.  J.J. looks out over the crowd, “is that how you feel? Well okay, after all what kind of leader expects his people to do what he himself will not?” J.J. puts the mask to his face and whips around, the jester cap wearing Joker, taken off-guard and unable to react can only gasp as the mask is shoved to his face, the trigger compressed and the gas fills his lungs. Left choking and his body wracked with the spasms of mutation; J.J. twirls to the assembled minions before him. “However, what kind of heir doesn’t try and live up to the legacy before him? The Joker was human, more human than anyone in this room, and certainly more human than the listless drones walking Gotham’s streets.  I will not cheapen that legacy for anything, not my life, and certainly not yours.”

 

It’s then that a shadow falls across J.J. “funny you should mention that.” The capped Joker’s body now twice its former size, covered in spiked keratin plates and augmented with cruel bear-like claws, looms over the would-be Joker. “I think this gang’s leadership could use some adjustment.” He leans very close to J.J.’s face “don’t you ‘boss’?” J.J. put one hand to his mouth and nose his other swiftly brought up a mouth wash vaporizer. “Pee-yew, what breath you have,” spritzing the vaporizer once, “let me help you with that!” The capped Joker chokes on the powerful substance and is immediately paralyzed with muscle spasms brought on by hysterical laughter. “Whoopsies! Silly me, wrong vaporizer, don’t worry kiddies that was only enough to kill an adult male, with his new body mass he should be fine.” J.J. spares one last glance down at the cackling mutant, “probably.”  Kicking his would-be usurper off the stage he beams down at his cronies. “Now, I think I told you all to gas up.”

 

 

***

            Terry’s leaning against the outside wall of Gotham General with his fingers pressed to the glass of an eighth story window. The sound transmitters in his glove listening in to Barbara’s interview with the Jokerz lieutenant Chucko, he’s going up the river but apparently it’ll be a small stint of three months if he narcs on what was stolen. Chucko having weighed his options, one of which is antagonizing the commissioner who can have his painkillers taken away, decides to take the deal. “I dunno what the full thing is, boss was cagey about it but his informant told him that there was a new chemical weapon the Ts bought. So we stole it, we paid a lot for the info. Boss only said it was a derivative of Quantum Vapor.” There was a hiss, from Bruce. “You recognize the substance?” Terry asked, Bruce’s reply was curt, “if you’ve been studying the league like I told you; you’d know it. It was known on the street as Big Bang Gas.” Terry’s eyes go wide, “like gave Static his powers Big Bang?” Terry can almost hear Bruce repressing the reprimand and lecture; he can guess the look on the geezer’s face. “Yes McGinnis, exactly ‘like’ that.” Terry’s picking up the small details when a series of explosions sound in the distance. “Slag, looks like J.J. couldn’t wait to play with his toys.”

 

 

***

            “We are live from Gotham Plaza where a massacre of a small time Ts meeting is taking place. Sources indicate that there are three metahumans inside, metahuman Jokerz taking the running gang war to a new pitch.” The prim blonde reporter looks like a distillation of all possible prim blonde reporters. Terry can’t help but buzz the sky low over her head; to her credit she doesn’t miss a beat. Probably a born Gothamite, “development: the Batman has made his appearance. Will the new Dark Knight be able to stem the tide of violence the police themselves struggle with? Only time will tell.”

 

 

***

            Terry moves carefully through the first floor of the building, it looked like it was just a lounge, television, pool table, and a few salvaged arcades. The entire system would have been cozy (stolen items not withstanding) except for the bodies littering the floor. The causes of death ranged from blunt force trauma to hypothermia, the most disturbing ones are the ones who look like they collapsed from malnutrition. Terry quickly and quietly makes his way towards the second floor. He silently glides down a hallway and stops at a partially opened door. There’s a group of Jokerz dangling a T with the regalia of a lieutenant over the edge of the window. Terry recognizes her from his profile of possible leads, Tessa, one of Boss-T’s inner circle.

 

The Jokerz have clearly been exposed to the Vapor. A calm woman in a light blue fur coat and tall furry hat, she has platinum blond hair, next is a scrawny man with an almost comically similar face to “Mr. Punch.” Last is a too pale, too thin girl in several layers clothes. “’cmon Tess, tell us where Boss-T is hold up and we’ll let you down, no harm no foul. He’s the one that pissed J.J. off so there’s no reason for you to get hurt see?” Terry readied a tear gas grenade and concussion bomb. Setting the timer on the bomb while tossing the tear gas, Terry as Batman readies to take down the group. As soon as the gas grenade goes off the male Joker drops Tessa.

 

Terry uses his rocket boots to follow her out the window before the Jokerz can react. Tessa reaches for him and he’s able to grab her. She hisses in pain as the force of stopping her fall dislocates her shoulder. The Jokerz are transported down by the male. His arms stretching like taffy, before the police can do anything the woman in furs drops a brightly colored ball that explodes in brilliant pink smoke and confetti. The three are laughing while using the moon faced man’s spring heels to leap across the tops of cars. Terry hands the girl off to the paramedics. “Dislocated shoulder, possible frost-bite and early onset hypothermia, the rest are dead.” The paramedic nods while Terry takes off preparing to tail the spring heeled Joker.

 

 

***

            Boss-T is having a bad couple of days, his new weapon stolen and abused by the Jokerz, half his overt ground forces dead. Tessa hospitalized and then arrested, she left a message with her sister but Addie isn’t reliably coherent on the best of days. His phone rang, the caller ID was hidden, which only meant one person was contacting him. “What do you want Composer?” The distorted voice chuckled on the other end. “Perceptive, I’m simply offering you the ability to level the playing field; if you don’t want it that’s your choice.” Boss-T inwardly cursed, “I can’t help but feel used here, you timing is very convenient, but you’re right. I need to level the field otherwise there won’t be a field left. You don’t know what the little clown-boy is like.” The Composer made a wondering and dismissive noise, “I’m sure he’ll be dealt with, if not it’s not Gotham’s first psycho, it won’t be its last. The delivery will arrive later tonight, at your hideout. I trust this is acceptable?” T cursed his trust in the faceless voice, he’d been used, played and now he didn’t have an option, even if the Jokerz and Ts were kicked off the top of Gotham’s crime kingdom, they’d at least be alive to fight another day. “Tonight will be fine.” He ground out.

 

 

***

            The three Metas return home, Crush is still hiccupping the occasional little giggle rocking back and forth. “Poor boy, too bad we couldn’t take you with us but it was a sneak attack and chuckles here would have blown our cover.” Springheel immediately made for tormenting Crush, “he has already been disciplined, tormenting him further would serve no purpose. Remember that.” Springheel turns on his fellow Jack; “aw, lookit miss Frost trying to act all sisterly despite her cold exterior, so tsundere.” Jacqueline doesn’t look at him she merely calls to the pale girl that came home with her “Phage, you were wondering if you could drain other metas correct? I think Springheel just volunteered to help you test it.” Her fellow Jack paled visibly, “N-now, Frost, you wouldn’t leave me to vampira over there would you?” Phage wandered back to her room ignoring the bickering squad around her.

 

“You better believe she’d leave you in a heartbeat,” a scrawny young man with singed clothes and grey hair drawls from the doorway. “Frost’s never been known for a kind nature. Even before our little ride through the Purple Haze.” Frost simply turned to the newcomer, “and how did your assignment go Lantern? Were you and Giant Slayer successful?” Lantern was about to answer when another responded. “They hit me with their car.” The new voice belonged to someone shorter than Lantern but more solidly built giving the impression of stature where none actually existed. Jack-of-Lanterns puts a hand rolled item into his mouth, snaps his fingers and with a small spark and puff of smoke the item ignites. Breathing out a long lazy trail of greasy blue smoke his eyes glaze slightly. “I can still see that car going up like a Christmas tree. It’s a beautiful sight, to bad Slayer here had to spoil it.” The Jack next to him shrugs, “we need info on Boss-T before you need to satisfy your- ahem. Urges.”

  
They all turn when a jovial voice announces from the stairs to the upper level “now, now my friends! Would big brother J.J. order you to do all work no play?” J.J. sauntered down the steps with his new lieutenant Yura, the Meta whose hair was made of titanium and subject to her will. “Though since you three came back empty handed I guess I should be applauding Slayer’s restraint.” Frost tenses, “We had the information in our grasp until the Batman showed up.” J.J. holds out his hand in a corrective gesture, “tut, tut, when you make a mistake what do you need to do?” Frost bows her head to the senior Joker, “we will do better, next time the Bat goes down with T.” J.J. lets out a raucous laugh, “at least let me do the final blow dearest Jacqueline.” Frost meets the Junior Joker’s gaze with a measure of fondness, “of course sir. It would only be appropriate.” J.J. twirls on his heel and heads towards the kitchen, “boys order up some Chinese, I’m going to go torture our prisoner!”

 

 

***

            The delivery came through on time and as expected, the Composer made good on his dubious word. T couldn’t help but feel played, like a pawn in a game he only had an inkling of, but it didn’t matter. “Tonight we take back the fight for Gotham; we take the fight to the Jokerz! They attacked us, murdered us, our family lies rotting because of what their cult has stolen from us. Our weapon, our brothers and our sisters; now we have the chance to pay them back for what they did. The Vapor will enhance you, but it could also destroy you, body and mind you could end up a monster. I will not force you, those of you who choose to leave may, and there will be no punishment, that’s not how family works.” He raises the face mask to his mouth, “I shall walk into hell and face damnation with you, don’t die.” Then Boss-T pressed the trigger on the side of the mask and the purple gas and the agony that came with it filled his being.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang-war comes to a close.

Terry parks the Batmobile inside the cave. “Bruce, I lost the Jokerz but I did manage to get something you might find interesting.” Bruce makes no movement or gesture, whatever Terry’s found will need to be looked over before he’ll deem it “interesting.” Terry plugs a portable drive into the Bat-cave’s computer. “This is the forensic lab’s report on the transport casing during the chemical truck robbery. Apparently it’s part of a two-part system.” Bruce makes an acknowledging sound. “Yes, it was developed about five years ago, a non-Newtonian fluid kept in shape by a poly-carbide steel outer case, used to transport unstable and volatile chemicals. Not many companies can afford to use it, but that just makes the demand higher for those that can.” Terry grins, “Quantum Vapor qualifies as unstable and volatile, and I’m guessing you have a list of companies that use it.” 

Bruce’s mouth quirks upward a bit, “one in particular that interests me. Thorne Trading and Shipping, they just finished a trade deal with Archer and King Developmental Research.” Terry raises an eyebrow, “Archer and King?” Bruce nods, “an R&D company that just recently appeared on the AA rankings and is making for the AAA slot next to entities like Wayne, Lexcorp, and Foxteca. It’s made its mark by aggressively swallowing smaller companies and labs, anything that the other three hasn’t held onto tight enough.” Terry frowns, “so a company that could produce or work with the Big Bang Gas? Also I know I’ve heard of the trade company.” Bruce looks at him “the family more likely, the Thornes and I have a history, going back to the current head’s grandfather Rupert.” The pieces click and Terry’s eyes light up, “the mob-boss?” Bruce nods, “I don’t want to assume anything but…” Terry begins packing up the Bat-Suit, “it’s the best lead we’ve had all week.” As Terry starts moving towards his civilian ride Bruce calls over his shoulder, “I’ll do more digging on Archer and King; I want you to have a chat with Thorne tomorrow night.” Terry gives a quick salute before riding off.

 

***  
J.J. cleans off his hands, “so he’s been hiding so close all along, he’s got guts, and I just can’t wait to get a closer look at them.” He looks down at the Ts lieutenant that his cronies captured, the body barely looked human anymore. “Dump that somewhere public then I want you all back here by sunrise. We’ll be attacking the Ts tonight before they can regroup, get yourselves rested. I want you all sharp and extra crabby for the big Jokerz victory party at the Ts headquarters tonight!”

 

***  
Helping his lieutenants to their feet Boss-T makes sure that the ones that need it are taken to the infirmary. Mostly it was just two of them, one whose body had spikes burst from his skin and new muscles developed to launch those spikes as deadly projectiles. The other who began exhaling carbon monoxide and producing a thick acid from his mouth, T looked over his forces. “Get some rest, we take to the streets tonight assuming the Jokerz don’t attack first, I want you all ready.” In his concern for the others he failed to notice frail unstable Addie conceal one of the unused Purple Haze nebulizers in her bag.

 

***

Terry was on edge through school and his warm-up training at the manor, “I’ll have Barbara on speed dial. Be careful if Thorne is the one behind this he’ll take your questions as a serious threat.” Terry nods, “be sure she’s ready, or tonight’s going to be a blood bath.” Bruce shoots him a look, “she knows her job, and she’s had more training and experience than you McGinnis, get that info and she’ll be ready.”

Terry takes off in the Batmobile heading for Thorne’s offices, a smile on his face, whether Bruce is willing to admit it to himself or not he’s still defensive of his wards. Wards that haven’t been on speaking terms with him in many years.  
***

Thorne feels a chill go down his spine; the silence of his office becomes much less tranquil and instead is heavy with menace. He turns to a window he distinctly remembers not opening. “Recognize this” a voice says from too close behind him. Thorne turns and has a data pad pushed into his hands, the display shows a fragment off a shipping canister and a read out of data. “Could be one of mine, could be one of my competitors.” Thorne looks up at the new Batman, the man is not thin, he is lean, in the way of somebody built for acrobatics and not quite grown into their full muscle. “That said what if it is mine? How is something being delivered of any concern to you? Unless it was stolen, in which case I believe I’m the victim.”

The eerie white lenses of the cowl’s eyes narrow. “It’s yours all right, and you’re going to tell me why you’re shipping a highly dangerous, unstable, and illegal chemical to one of the most dangerous gangs in Gotham.” Thorne’s mouth quirks up into a wry smile, one that promised nothing and expected nothing, “I can’t say I know what you’re talking about. I’d have to look through my manifests, and if it is as dangerous a substance as you claim it may have been done by an employee with more greed and ambition than common sense.” Batman crosses his arms and shifts his stance, everything about him promises violence. “Something tells me you’re in a bit too much of a hurry for that.” Thorne reaches into one of the drawers in his desk, Batman tenses, Thorne suspects if the contents of the drawer even resemble a gun he’ll be nursing a broken wrist. Instead he slowly pulls out a USB drive, “there was an unscheduled shipment to this location. I suspect that the violence you’re so desperate to prevent will happen there.”

Batman takes the drive and eyes it suspiciously, “why?” Thorne leans back into his chair and steeples his fingers. “I’ll be honest with you, as a favor from one successor to another, I abhor violence, it’s bad for Gotham, it’s bad for business, and it’s bad for me. What’s more violent than crime in Gotham?” Batman looks through him, “funny way of being a pacifist.” Thorne laughs, “I’m no pacifist, I just dislike violence, even when necessary, and it is occasionally necessary.” Batman turns towards the window, “you can tell your body guard to put his gun away I’m leaving. I’ll be keeping an eye on you though.” Thorne shrugs, “hear that Sergei, you’re not as sneaky as you think. As for you-” but Batman’s already gone. “As long as your eyes don’t neglect the rest of the city Batman.” Thorne turns back to his reports and data, “Sergei please close and lock that window again.”

 

***  
“You get all that?” The other end of the line is quiet or a minute. “Yes, I don’t know what Thorne’s game is, be careful this could be a trap.” Terry considers this, “a trap for me and the GCPD? I already sent the Commissioner the info. Did Rupert ever try that?” Bruce considers this, “for me yes, for his rivals yes, and occasionally for a single cop or two. Never that many, but remember that was Rupert, I can’t say for sure what his grandson will try.” Terry can’t help but feel used, then it occurs to him, Thorne wasn’t lying, he’d been completely honest. “We’re the cleanup crew.” Bruce grumbles, “I was wondering when you’d get it. Yes, the gang war might not have been him but this escalation, they’ll either kill each other or we’ll arrest the majority tonight. I wasn’t sure until he gave you the drive so easily.” Terry snarls into his comm. “Damn it, we played right into his hand.” He banks towards the address he was given, wondering what the consequences of tonight will be. “Focus on tonight McGinnis, we’ll get Thorne.”

 

***  
By the time the Batmobile coasts low over the roof of the Ts building there’s already a sizable contingent of Ts manning the roof. The lower hatch opens and Terry dives out. Two goons go down on his landing another is knocked out when a bang sounds from the ground and a team of Jokerz including the metas from last night’s raid and J.J. himself run into the building. “Dammit,” Terry curses under his breath. Luckily the rest of the Ts are moving into the building so fast that it’s easy to sneak in with them while cloaked. The hall from the roof opens up to a series of catwalks over a large structure. From the catwalk Terry can see a number of rooms, laid out like cubicles in an office, walls and doors but no ceiling it give the Ts a good vantage to fire down at the invading Jokerz. There are two Ts in the first room the Jokerz overtake. A scrawny teenage boy and a bigger man covered in spikes. Three Jokerz stop to deal with them while the shape-changing Joker scoops up J.J. and a couple other metas and bounce over the ceiling into the next room.

The boy begins moving his hands and what Terry had taken for a carpet erupts in a cloud of wings and stingers and pincers. The cryokinetic Joker in the furry hat takes out a wave but is nearly skewered by the spine covered T shooting a number of spikes at her. The more monstrous Joker curls up into a ball and rolls at speeds closer to a car at the spiked T while a third Joker snapping his fingers like someone listening to music; but his snaps aren’t timing a beat but a series of fiery explosions across the room. Terry observes the room looking or anything he can use to end this or distract them. An oven-stove combo on the side closest to the combatants looks promising; Terry pulls out a collapsible Batarang and waits for the timing to be right.   
Beat, wait, boom, beat, wait, boom, beat, and throw, the next explosion hits too close to the now ruptured gas line a wave of fire scatters the insects burning most of them where they were. The boy directing the bugs screams and falls over clutching his head. The fire causes the frost wielding Joker to hiss and withdraw out the hole they came in. The monstrous joker rolls towards the swarm conducting T only for his spiked companion to hurtle into him knocking the Joker into the pyro across the room. Sensing the battle has turned and unsure of how, the invading Jokerz start to scatter and rush towards the exit, into Gordon’s waiting blockade if the sirens were anything to go by. Terry dives into the spiked T and zip-cuffs him while he’s stunned. Then in follows the cackling ringleader of this whole mess.

When Terry reaches the next room there’s a tense stalemate, Boss-T on one end, J.J. on the other. The pale woman tries to charge one of the Ts and grab him; the two are locked for a period of time before they both fall over. One from exhaustion as the nutrients are visibly sucked from his body the other because she’s stared vomiting a thick oily bile onto the ground. “What, toxic chemicals not appetizing?” The T asks her while she continues to retch. The shape changing Joker coils his heels into springs while making his arms into larger versions of the same. Launching himself at Boss-T, the other blocks with his large arms, T is an imposing bear of a man shaved like the rest of the Ts with a red T tattooed across his face he’s covered in scars that look almost ritualistic. To the other Joker however this is meaningless since his arms let him spring backwards launching Boss-T in the opposite direction. T crashes into the wall, but the dust clears when an invisible wave smacks into the rubbery Joker flattening him against the wall. His powers being the only thing to save him from a grisly death by raw kinetic energy, even so he’s groaning and unconscious.

J.J. cackles as his two remaining Jokerz charge, one of them heaves a block of concrete twice his size at T. T again blocks it, and retaliates with another blast of raw force. The Joker dodges, while his female companion uncoils her hair and slashes at T, it becomes clear he won’t survive even with his powers. A woman screams and Terry notices someone he hadn’t seen before a slight girl who drops a still fuming canister of Vapor. Her eyes glow an eerie purple. Then the world shifts, swarms of brightly colored spiders made of glass and copper erupt from the floors which turn to a muddy clay. The metal haired Joker falls into the quicksand floors and begins to struggle wildly. J.J. makes his way towards T only to be attacked by dogs, dogs whose faces have no skin and whose forepaws end in hairless human looking hands. J.J. screams in rage and starts punching wildly at them. T moves to the girl who stayed in the back of the room, the nightmares radiating out from her, shadows without anything to cast them beat at T as he fights his way towards her.  
Suddenly lavender flames leap into his face, he screams and falls unleashing a wave of force the girl falls the nightmares falter and flicker J.J. uses the opportunity to escape the hounds and limp towards the door. Terry rushes forward with a tranquilizer readied, he injects it into the fallen girl and as she slips into unconsciousness the nightmarish visions faded. Terry breathes a sigh of relief.

J.J. opens the door only to be greeted by several guns from the GCPD directed towards his face. “Some party huh?” Is all he’s able to manage before being cuffed and manhandled out of the room, back-up having arrived Terry as Batman makes his way over to Gordon. She quietly removes him from the room. After the full brief she smiles at him. “You did well tonight kid lot less blood than there could have been.”

***  
By Monday morning Terry learns several things; one the form of Quantum Vapor used by the Jokerz and Ts was more stable than the raw form it has only about a fifty percent cure rate. Two the GCPD has nothing they can pin on Thorne, they begin watching him but he’s gotten even more careful. Or he’s withdrawn from the underworld, something Terry doesn’t believe for a minute, it’s a relief to know Bruce and Barbara agree. Lastly that one of the incurable cases was Addie, Tessa’s younger sister, whose Meta powers bring her nightmares and hallucinations to life. She’s being housed at Arkham with an inhibitor collar. While some Jokerz and Ts escaped the lieutenants were captured as were Boss-T and J.J. The gang war is over. Sarcastically Terry can’t help but think Thorne ended the night the real winner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first big action sequence, I'd love to hear your opinions on it.

**Author's Note:**

> Second half of Throne's intro episodes begins now.


End file.
